Standing on the shoulders of the forgotten, we find confidence through historical consciousness

Hello. This is the 6th day of the Northeast Asian History Tour. Today, we will explore the traces of Venerable Yongseong’s independence movement and visit Bohaizhen to examine the history of Balhae.

The group woke up at 4:20 AM and departed from Yanji at 5 AM, heading to Ando County. As the bus departed, Sunim briefly explained the day’s schedule.

“The history tour is now approaching its end. Today’s theme is the history of Balhae. After touring Bohaizhen, where Balhae’s capital Sanggyeong Yongcheonbu was located, we will make the long journey to our accommodation in Tonghua.”

After an hour’s bus ride, the group arrived in Ando County at 6 AM. Ando County is where the Myeongwolgu Conference was held to counter Japan’s invasion of Manchuria, and where the Gando Special Unit, a pro-Japanese military organization centered on Korean youth, was active. Here, Venerable Yongseong established large-scale farms in Myeongwol Village and Bongnyeong Village to secure bases for the independence movement.

The bus arrived in front of a rock called ‘Ongseong Napja,’ the old name for Myeongwol Village. Indeed, a large rock stood prominently in the middle of the city center.

The group briefly stopped at Ando Market for breakfast. After gathering in small groups to buy food according to their tastes, they boarded the bus again.

The Myeongwolgu Conference and Gando Special Unit remained only as lonely monuments in the middle of the city, and No traces of the Seonongdang (Zen farming hall) in Myeongwol Village could be found.

While driving on the national highway, they tried to see the the Seonongdang (Zen farming hall) in Bongnyeong Village, but the road was blocked and they couldn’t go.

On the bus, Sunim explained in detail why Venerable Yongseong urgently purchased this land immediately after being released from prison in 1922.

“At that time, these places were called ‘Myeongwol Village’ and ‘Bongnyeong Village.’ Venerable Yongseong purchased 700 jeongbo (町步) each in these two places, that is, 2.1 million pyeong each, and created farms embodying the spirit of Seon farming practice. When people hear that a monk is farming, they usually think it’s strange. Although he established Seonnongdang while advocating for Seon farming practice, the actual purpose was to help independence activists and their families.

Venerable Yongseong’s Secret Farm That Sheltered Independence Activist Families

Venerable Yongseong participated in the March 1st Movement in 1919, and as a result, he was sentenced and imprisoned. He was released in 1921, and after hearing about the Free City Incident upon his release, he secretly came here with funds he had raised to purchase land to protect independence activists. In Seon Buddhism, there is a tradition called ‘Seon farming practice,’ and he used this as a cover, ostensibly promoting the idea of combining farming with meditation. It wasn’t easy to raise money to buy this land. On one hand, he fundraised from wealthy landowners in Jeolla Province, and on the other hand, he connected with the royal palace for fundraising. It is said that Emperor Sunjong’s consort made a special donation. With the money raised this way, he came here.

This is at the foot of Mt. Baekdu. Although it’s now a city, back then it was an uninhabited area. This is a mountain range connecting Mt. Baekdu to the Maritime Province. At that time, the Maritime Province was Russian territory, making it safe for independence activities. In contrast, Manchuria was under strong Japanese imperial influence, making activities difficult. So independence fighters either entered the Mt. Baekdu jungle or fled to the Maritime Province. Unlike today when we travel by car, everyone walked back then. He acquired the farm in this location where one could go either to Mt. Baekdu or to the Maritime Province. Although this was wilderness in the jungle at the time, since he was trying to buy land suddenly, he had no choice but to pay a high price. While you can negotiate with someone who wants to sell, when buying from someone who doesn’t want to sell, you have to pay more. So rumors spread at the time that some monk had been swindled and bought land at an absurdly high price. It was a large sum equivalent to billions of won today.

A Base for the Independence Movement Hidden at the Foot of Mt. Baekdu

The farm established this way was called ‘Seonnongdang,’ realizing Seon farming practice, and the harvest was divided 70-30 with those who came to cultivate and live here. At that time, the usual land rental arrangement was 50-50, but he gave more benefits to the cultivators. He also provided various other support, such as funds to build houses. If he had given it for free, it would have been discovered that he was supporting independence activists, so he helped people while maintaining a format that matched worldly rules. Although it was done in the form of open recruitment, in reality, it was mainly families of independence fighters who came. In this way, Seonnongdang was built to protect and nurture independence activists. Do you know the novel ‘Bukgando (North Gando)’? In the posthumous collection of writer Ahn Su-gil, there remains an unpublished novel. Although neither Venerable Yongseong’s name nor the exact location appears in it, it tells the story of an ideal village where people meditate and study, and farm while studying. A few years ago, when we conducted a detailed investigation for the 100th anniversary of the March 1st Movement, we found that the novelist was the son of the general manager of this land and had served as a Sunday Buddhist school teacher at Daegak Temple operated by Venerable Yongseong. In other words, we discovered that the novel was based on his own experiences. There was no particular evidence that Seonnongdang actually existed, but these facts came to light through investigating that novel. Because Japanese surveillance was very strict at that time, Venerable Yongseong had to hide even his comings and goings to Longjing. On the surface, it was packaged as if the monk had entered a retreat and was in complete seclusion, having no contact with the outside world, but in reality, he came to China and carried out these activities. If you go to Bongnyeong Village, there is a neighborhood called ‘Jeoldan Village'(Severed Village). In the late Japanese colonial period, as Japan intensified its oppression, they set fire to the farm there, burning it down overnight and driving out all the residents. That’s how the village got the name Jeoldan Village.”

Leaving behind the story of Venerable Yongseong’s independence movement, the tour group now headed to Bohaizhen, where many Balhae relics remain.

After leaving Ando County and driving on the highway for a while, Dunhua City appeared. Looking out the window, Sunim explained.

“Dunhua is a very large plain. Balhae established its first capital here. After the state stabilized, they moved the capital to Junggyeong Hyeondeokbu in the Hualong area, and then to Sanggyeong Yongcheonbu. Sanggyeong Yongcheonbu was a much wider plain than the Dunhua basin, surrounded by mountains, making it good for defending against enemies. However, building such a large and wide fortress on flat land suggests they felt little danger of foreign invasion. Since they established their capital much further northeast than Goguryeo, there were no foreign enemies nearby to invade. However, this complacent and careless attitude eventually became the reason for their rapid collapse under the Khitan invasion.”

The bus continuously traveled across the Manchurian plains where Balhae’s history lives and breathes. Imagining the spirit of the Balhae people who dominated Northeast Asia with territory much larger than Goguryeo’s, they headed to Bohaizhen.

They drove on the highway for 3 hours from Ando County to Bohaizhen. Around 10 AM, they entered Bohaizhen.

“Once we cross this pass, the wide plains of Bohaizhen will unfold. The best song to sing when seeing such a scene is ‘Gwangya-eseo’ (In the Wilderness).”

Looking at the wide plains spreading outside the window, they sang ‘Gwangya-eseo’ (In the Wilderness). together.

While singing, they arrived at the palace site ruins of Sanggyeong Yongcheonbu, which was Balhae’s capital. First, they moved to the Balhae Museum to view maps of Balhae’s territory, aerial views of the palace fortress, and various artifacts.

The old, shabby Balhae Museum from just five years ago had been transformed into a magnificent new building.

After Lee Seung-yong provided detailed explanations about the artifacts, Sunim once again explained the key points.

Next, they headed to Heungnyungsa Temple from the Balhae period. The place densely planted with poplar trees in the distance was the outer fortress wall.

Upon entering the outer fortress of Sanggyeong Yongcheonbu, they immediately arrived at Heungnyungsa Temple.

Listening to Sunim’s explanation, they passed through the One Pillar Gate and the Four Heavenly Kings Gate, paid respects to the Great Buddha from the Balhae period enshrined in the main hall, and offered sincere prayers.

After completing the prayers, Sunim offered a blessing prayer for the tour group.

“We humbly pray. As we, the assembly from Korea, pay our respects and make vows before the Great Buddha of Heungnyunsa Temple at Sanggyeong Yongcheonbu of Balhae, please bestow your blessings upon the paying assembly. Through the merit of this pilgrimage, may North and South be peaceful, may the suffering of all suffering beings be alleviated, and may the heavenly dragons and eight divisions of divine protectors safeguard all members of the paying assembly so they may complete this history tour in good health.”

After leaving the Dharma hall, the group took a commemorative photo in front of the stone lantern from the Balhae period. This stone lantern is such a representative artifact of Balhae that it appears in Korean history textbooks. It is a massive stone lantern carved from basalt, which has remained intact since the Balhae period. It can be considered the largest stone lantern currently in the Northeast region.

After leaving Heungnyunsa Temple, the tour group headed to the palace of Sanggyeong Yongcheonbu. There was an inner fortress within the outer fortress, and the palace was within the inner fortress.

Sanggyeong Yongcheonbu served as the capital of Balhae for 30 years from 755 to 785 during the reign of the third king, Munhwang. After briefly moving to Donggyeong Yongwonbu, the capital was relocated back to Sanggyeong Yongcheonbu during the reign of the fifth king, Seongwang Daehwayeo, and remained there for 132 years until the fall of Balhae. In total, it served as the political, economic, and cultural center of Balhae for 162 years.

After taking a group photo in front of Obongnu, the main gate of the palace, they examined the model display at the palace entrance. Through the model, they could see at a glance what the actual palace looked like.

They entered the palace grounds.

“The characteristic of this gate is that there is no main entrance. People were made to enter from the sides, probably to prevent enemies from breaking through the main entrance. Although there is no pavilion on top now, there are photos showing the pavilion still standing until the 1800s. The passages for people were on both sides of the center of the gate, while separate gates for carriages and horses were located toward the East Palace and West Palace.” “This palace is broadly divided into the West Palace on the left and the East Palace on the right, with the center as the reference point. The queens and children mainly lived in the West Palace, while the crown prince, who would become the next king, lived in the East Palace. That’s why we have the term ‘Crown Prince of the East Palace.’ It has a triple structure with an outer fortress, an inner fortress within the outer fortress, and the palace within the inner fortress. When you enter through the main gate, Palace 1, Palace 2, Palace 3, Palace 4, and Palace 5 are arranged in a straight line.”

When they climbed up to Obongnu, they could see Palaces 1 through 5 in a straight line.

“Palace 1 is slightly lower than the gate, Palace 2 is lower than Palace 1, and Palace 3 is lower than Palace 2. They are designed to be progressively lower. Palace 5 was a place for receiving guests, and we can assume that Palace 4, which has ondol (underfloor heating), was the king’s bedroom. Palaces 1 and 2 were spaces where the king and ministers held meetings and conducted official business, while Palace 3 was the king’s private office.”

On top of Obongnu, many foundation stones could be seen, which appeared to be traces of where the pavilion once stood. Sunim explained.

“If you look at these foundation stones, some are carved round. These round ones indicate that there were only pillars with empty space around them. But there are also some that are only half-round. This means the round side was the outer face, and the uncarved side was against a wall. There was no need to carve the inside of the wall since it couldn’t be seen from outside. On one hand, this could be wisdom, but I also wonder if the stonemasons back then were just being lazy.” (laughter)

After passing through Obongnu and entering the palace grounds, a vast palace site appeared. There was a path down the middle and corridors connecting from both ends. Sunim joked with a smile.

“The palaces were connected by buildings so people could move between them without getting rained on. There are corridors on both sides for people to walk through. The scale of these corridors is enormous. The middle path was used by the king and nobles, while the corridors on both sides were used by those who served in the palace. If you feel ‘I like walking in the middle,’ you were probably royalty in a past life. If you feel ‘I prefer the side paths,’ you were probably a servant.” (laughter)

Following Sunim’s guidance, they examined the palaces in order from Palace 1 to Palace 2, 3, 4, and 5, then continued walking to the northern gate at the very back of the palace.

“From here, you can feel the difference in height between the gate and Palace 1. They are connected in a stepped manner.”

The scale of the fortress was so large that walking around the entire perimeter was no easy task, but everyone’s steps were light, intoxicated by the clear weather and beautiful scenery.

Upon reaching the northern gate and looking toward the palace, they could see that the ground level gradually rose from Palace 5 toward Palace 1, allowing all the palace sites to be visible at once. It was clear that nothing was built randomly; everything was planned. The wisdom of the Balhae people who could create such designs was remarkable.

“This is the northern gate. It’s a gate in the inner fortress. The outer fortress surrounds the outside, with the inner fortress inside it, and the palace inside that. Since this is the back end of the palace, it serves as both the palace wall and the inner fortress wall. There’s another outer fortress wall behind that. Beyond the outer fortress is the Mudan River. They built the fortress walls along the Mudan River. The stones used to build the walls were quarried from behind the walls. The quarried areas filled with water and became a lake, which is called ‘Hyeonmu Lake.'”

The group took a brief rest at the northern gate to cool off from the heat. One participant sang “Hwangseong Yeteo (The Old Castle Ruins).”

The castle walls have crumbled, leaving only empty grounds with green grass

Telling us of the vanity of this world♬

One young participant sang “Balhaereul Kkumkkumyeo (Dreaming of Balhae)” a song by Seo Taiji and Boys.

Someday when the borders disappear from my small land ♬

Many people will fill their hearts with hope

I now wish for peace and love

The lyrics of both songs touched everyone’s hearts so deeply that they seemed perfectly suited for this location. Though the Korean Peninsula is now divided in two, the group earnestly prayed for peace on the peninsula, inheriting the spirit of the Balhae people who once commanded the continent.

On the way out of the palace, they passed by Palbo Yuri Well, which was used as a drinking water source.

Outside the East Palace, the remains of Eohwawon, where the king used to go boating, were still visible. The Eohwawon lake was said to have been shaped like a human face.

After touring the entire Shangjing Longquanfu palace, everyone boarded the bus again. On the way out around the city walls, they could see Xuanwu Lake, which was formed from quarrying stones to build the fortress.

After passing Xuanwu Lake, the Mudan River appeared.

The tour group departed from Bohaizhen and headed to Dunhua to see Dongmo Mountain, where Balhae began.

After a two-hour bus ride, they arrived in Dunhua at 4 PM. They had planned to see the Jiangdong 24 Stone Monuments in the center of Dunhua City, but the Chinese government had blocked access to them. Disappointed, they could only receive a brief explanation on the bus as they passed through Dunhua City. Sunim expressed his disappointment.

“One of the Balhae artifacts we cannot see on this trip is the ’24 Stone Monuments.’ These are unique to Balhae, and it’s disappointing that we can’t see the actual artifacts. It’s not even a rare item found in just one place – there are several along the roadside, but they’re currently sealed off, so I’m very sorry we can’t show them to you.”

The entrance road to the village leading to Dongmo Mountain was also blocked by public security vehicles and excavators. So they took a detour through farm roads to reach the opposite bank of the river where they could view Dongmo Mountain.

Shortly after, Dongmo Mountain became visible in the distance through the bus window. Dongmo Mountain was Balhae’s first capital, where Dae Jo-yeong, who had become a Goguryeo refugee, escaped from exile and traveled a long distance to establish a new nation.

“That peak rising like a conical hat in the distance is Dongmo Mountain. Are you disappointed because it’s smaller than you expected? While Wunyeoshan Fortress, the first capital of Goguryeo, has a majestic grandeur, Dongmo Mountain is too small. The history of Balhae began at Dongmo Mountain that you are looking at.”

Dongmo Mountain, Where Balhae’s First Breath Was Taken

The Dashi River flows in front, so there was no need to build fortress walls on the front side. Rivers serve as cliffs preventing enemies from climbing up to the fortress, which is why fortresses were built along rivers. The fortress walls encircle the back of the peak along the 70% elevation line. Though Dongmo Mountain is small in scale like Goguryeo’s Baegam Mountain Fortress, it stands on a wide plain with no other mountains around. So from that mountain, they could see enemies approaching from all directions.

Everything looks humble when it begins. But you saw Shangjing Longquanfu this morning, didn’t you? How grand and magnificent it was! When first founding a nation, one must start small because nothing is prepared. Of course, there were no enemy invasions while Balhae had its capital here.”

They walked to a spot with a good view of Dongmo Mountain, enjoying the cool breeze.

A low mountain shaped like a conical hat stood alone on the large plain. It seemed rather flat for building a fortress. However, since it was surrounded by plains on all sides, even climbing just a little would provide a clear view of the surroundings.

Chinese public security officers arrived in large numbers to monitor them. They even prevented taking photos from a distance.

“Coming back after five years, I see the Chinese public security has come out in force to welcome us.”

It would have been wonderful to get close to the fortress walls, but access was prohibited by the Chinese government, so they could only look from afar.

With Dongmo Mountain, they successfully completed the last itinerary of their historical tour.

Now the tour group had to travel the long distance to Tonghua. They left Dunhua at 5 PM and drove for four hours straight to Tonghua.

They had a sharing session on the bus. Sunim set an example by sharing his thoughts first.

“This is Pomnyun. I was in charge of guiding this trip. My impressions from this journey are: First, I’m a bit disappointed that we couldn’t properly observe the North Korean border areas as I had hoped. Nevertheless, from the few places we saw, I was relieved to see that buildings have been erected and colors have brightened. Second, coming to China after five years, I noticed significant improvements in transportation, hotels, and everything else. However, control has become stricter. When material improvements coincide with tighter political and ideological control, I wonder what will happen – this contradictory relationship made me think. Third, given this situation, I think we need to review back in Korea at what level and how we should conduct our historical tours.”

Following this, participants from buses 1, 2, and 3 took turns sharing their thoughts and singing songs.

Pride in My Roots and Identity Felt Through Visiting Historical Sites

Despite different stories, there was a common resonance. Most participants said, “Walking through history that I had only read about in books felt completely different.” Walking through the ancient capitals of Goguryeo and Balhae and the stages of the independence movement, they physically felt that our history extended beyond the Korean Peninsula to Manchuria and Liaodong.

“Through this trip, I realized and reflected on how I had lived for so long without even knowing which people I originated from. Learning that I’m a member of a people who began as one of the world’s five great civilizations gave me tremendous ethnic pride. After learning about the division of North and South Korea and the fierce struggles of independence fighters, I deeply pondered, ‘What can I do?’ I felt sorry and grateful for the time I didn’t know about their pain and efforts. From now on, I want to participate more actively in Jungto Society activities to make a small contribution.”

Many participants talked about the emotions they felt at independence movement sites. Some shed tears singing “Pioneer” at Ilsongjeong, while others recalled the feelings of independence fighters while looking at the sea.

“I keenly felt the importance of history on this historical tour. Especially, the hearts of the independence fighters still remain heavy in one corner of my chest. We have largely forgotten how they operated here and with what spirit they lived. When I sang ‘Seonguja (Pioneer)’ and ‘Gohyang-ui Bom (Spring in My Hometown)’ at Ilsongjeong, their hearts were conveyed to me and I cried. More than the history of Goguryeo and Balhae, what remained most deeply from this trip was the hearts of the independence fighters.”

This tour didn’t stop at looking back at the past. Participants came to ponder ‘What will we do going forward?’

“Although we couldn’t see many historical sites due to Chinese public security control this time, discovering my own heart trying to find even small traces of our compatriots across the Yalu and Tumen Rivers became an even greater stimulus. I felt a small flame igniting deep in my heart. I learned that even past history isn’t just given to us – we must become the owners and protect it.”

As the saying goes that history isn’t just given but must be protected by us as owners, the sense of mission to prepare for unification and pass on correct history to the next generation appeared in many reflections. This Northeast Asian historical tour was not just a simple trip but a time connecting ‘myself, the nation, and the future.’ We hoped that the emotions felt at these sites would lead to actions for unification and peace in our lives.

Listening attentively to each other’s reflections made the 6-night, 7-day journey feel even richer. Long after starting the sharing session, they passed through Wusong County. Pointing out the window, Sunim explained about Wusong County.

“We are now passing through Wusong County. Wusong was a jungle area of Mt. Baekdu. Though the forest has greatly diminished due to logging, if you look at the history of the independence movement, there were many armed independence struggles in the Mt. Baekdu jungle. Since we don’t learn much about the history of armed independence struggles, you probably haven’t heard of Wusong. Wusong County on the west side of Mt. Baekdu’s foothills, Ando County on the east, and the Wangqing and Helong regions were important bases for armed independence struggles. These areas all belong to the Mt. Baekdu foothills. When independence fighters were discovered by Japanese forces, they would hide in Mt. Baekdu and fight. They waged guerrilla warfare around Mt. Baekdu. Even if their names aren’t recorded in history, countless independence fighters made firm promises in this jungle and devoted themselves to their homeland’s liberation. We are now passing through that place.”

They then had a Q&A session with Sunim.

“We have about an hour left to Tonghua. I’m sure you all had many questions during this time, and I’m most sorry that we couldn’t take many questions. From now on, those who want to rest can rest, and those who have questions can ask them.”

One young person asked for Sunim’s advice about wanting to write articles or make documentaries about the Korean government’s apparent lack of response to China’s Northeast Project. Others asked about historical tours with Korean-Chinese youth, and whether the founding ideology of Hongik Ingan (benefiting all humanity) was really a possible concept for that era.

Using the transceiver to converse with Sunim, they arrived in Tonghua City before they knew it. The sun had completely set, and it was 9 PM.

They went straight to the restaurant and had dinner. After passing around a glass each of Tonghua’s most famous wine, Joshin, who was the practical coordinator of this historical tour, gave a toast.

“I would like to express my gratitude to all of you. I believe that thanks to you, the hidden truths of history are being revealed. It has been truly wonderful to be able to do this together.”

They finished dinner and went to their accommodations to unpack their luggage. A short while later, they gathered in the auditorium at 10:50 PM and began the evening lecture.

Before starting the lecture, they took time to express our gratitude to the drivers who had worked the hardest during the 6 nights and 7 days. When Sunim presented gifts and expressed thanks, the audience also conveyed their appreciation with loud applause

Since this was the final lecture, Sunim gave us a comprehensive summary, looking back on our journey and reviewing what we had seen, heard, and learned. First, he explained what the roots of our people are, and then how our national history has unfolded up to the modern era.”

“The purpose of this historical tour has three objectives. First, to explore the historical sites of Goguryeo and Balhae; second, to visit independence movement sites; and third, to observe Mount Baekdu and the Amnok (Yalu) and Duman (Tumen) Rivers. While it’s important to study the magnificent history by viewing Goguryeo and Balhae relics, it’s equally important to learn about the roots of their unique culture.

From the Han Nation to the Republic of Korea: In Search of Our Roots

Jumong, the founder of Goguryeo, declared, ‘I am a descendant of Northern Buyeo.’ Hae Mosu, the founder of Buyeo, said, ‘I am a descendant of Dangun,’ and Dangun said, ‘I am a descendant of Hwanung.’ Hwanung stated, ‘I am the son of Hwanin, the Heavenly God.’ However, Hwanin never declared whose son he was. While he must have been someone’s son, there are no further records, so we cannot know. When we trace history backward like this, it is an undeniable fact that Goryeo is the successor of Goguryeo, Goguryeo is the successor of Buyeo, Buyeo is the successor of Dangun Joseon, Dangun Joseon is the successor of Baedal, and Baedal is the successor of the Han nation. This is what we ourselves have declared about our ancestry—it’s not something someone fabricated or distorted. We simply haven’t been well aware of these facts until now.”

Who succeeded Goryeo? Joseon succeeded it. Only the royal family name changed; it was the same country. That’s why it’s called a ‘dynastic revolution.’ Joseon changed its name to the Korean Empire, and the Korean Empire became the Republic of Korea. The roots of today’s Republic of Korea lie in the Korean Empire, the roots of the Korean Empire lie in the Joseon Dynasty, the roots of the Joseon Dynasty lie in the Goryeo Dynasty, and the roots of the Goryeo Dynasty lie in Goguryeo. But why did Goryeo claim to succeed Goguryeo when it inherited Silla’s territory and Balhae’s identity? At that time, it was the era of the North-South States Period divided between Silla and Balhae, so claiming to succeed one would mean abandoning the other. Therefore, they skipped a generation and claimed to succeed Goguryeo. In other words, claiming to succeed Goguryeo meant succeeding both Silla and Balhae. If a unified Republic of Korea emerges in the future, it could be said to ‘succeed both South and North Korea.’ However, if political circumstances make it difficult to say so, it could be expressed as ‘succeeding the Korean Empire.’ This would mean succeeding both the South and North. The current Republic of Korea can also be called ‘Korea.’ The name ‘Korea’ originally derives from ‘Han country.’ However, due to Chinese character notation, it became ‘Daehan Minguk’ (Republic of Korea), and the reason for using ‘Daehan’ (Great Han) is because ‘Han’ was divided into three parts – Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, the ‘Three Hans’ – and then reunited as one. Understanding that our roots lie in the Han nation, Baedal nation, and Joseon nation is most important. In the case of the Han nation, only seven kings’ names remain in records. Dividing a long history among seven people makes it appear as if each king ruled for 500 years, but in reality, the intermediate records have been lost. The Baedal nation lasted for 1,650 years, but only 18 kings are recorded. In Goguryeo’s case, King Taejo is recorded as having ruled for 100 years, but it’s likely that several names were omitted and replaced with King Taejo.

The Origin of Our Civilization: From Hwanin to Hwanung to Dangun

Our historical roots are not merely fanciful tales. You can see related artifacts in museums. When we speak of civilization, we refer to the Neolithic period onward. That’s why the history of the world’s four great civilizations is considered to be about 5,000 years. However, as artifact excavation has become more sophisticated recently, the dates have been pushed back to 12,000 years ago. According to our conventional understanding, people first gathered to live together, and as they lived together, religion and social classes emerged. However, artifacts discovered in Turkey from 12,000 years ago show a magnificent ‘megalithic culture’ that appears divine, but no traces of collective residential areas were found. This represents a revolutionary change in human civilization history. In other words, rather than religion arising from collective living, religion came first, and then collective labor and residence followed to build religious structures. From this perspective, we can push back the origin of Neolithic civilization to 12,000 years ago, and Hwanin’s Han nation, which was passed down like a legend, becomes a historically plausible story.

Additionally, in the area of present-day Aohan Banner in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, there are Neolithic sites dating back approximately 9,000 years, known as the “Xiaohexi Culture.” These archaeological findings can serve as evidence supporting the existence of the Han nation from the perspective of material culture and civilization history. While we cannot claim that Neolithic civilization unified all of East Asia, we can say that it was the most advanced civilization or ethnic group in this region. A group that branched off from this civilization was likely Hwanung’s people. Hwanung is described as the illegitimate son of Hwanin, the Heavenly Emperor. If he had been the legitimate heir, he would have inherited the existing civilization, but as an illegitimate son, he migrated elsewhere to establish a new civilization. Whether the advanced civilization that Hwanung brought originated from nearby East Asia or migrated from as far as Turkey remains unknown. Currently, we can only speculate that they migrated from near the Tian Shan Mountains or Lake Baikal. While it is true that the Han nation is the root of our civilization, nothing remains regarding its location or level of civilization. Therefore, while the “Han nation” is clearly our root, we can consider the direct beginning of our country’s history to be from the “Baedal nation.” This is similar to how America’s roots are in Britain, but America is not Britain itself. The group of approximately 3,000 people led by Hwanung was a very large collective by Neolithic standards. They migrated to the Northeast Asian region, where they created a new order through both conflict and cooperation with indigenous forces. At that time, indigenous forces each had their own totemism. Among them, the bear-worshipping forces cooperated with Hwanung’s group, while the tiger-worshipping forces were in conflict. This became the foundation of the Dangun myth. It wasn’t that a bear ate garlic and became human, but rather that the bear tribe established the Baedal nation together with immigrants possessing advanced Bronze Age civilization. The hallmark of this advanced civilization was Bronze Age technology. While the bear tribe remained in the Neolithic period, the immigrants possessed three items as symbols of their advanced civilization: bronze mirrors, bronze swords, and bronze bells. These three items were always worn during ceremonies to heaven. Even today, shamans continue this tradition by always placing bronze mirrors, shaking bronze bells, and wielding bronze swords during their rituals. Thus, the Baedal nation, which established “Sinsi” at the foot of Mount Taebaek, lasted for 1,650 years. At that time, anywhere a nation was established in Northeast Asia would be “at the foot of Mount Baekdu (then called Mount Taebaek)” because it was the highest mountain in Northeast Asia. Even in modern history, when white people went to South America and governed the indigenous peoples, the positions of president or governor were always held by whites. Although intermarriage with indigenous peoples occurred later, the highest positions of power were always held by whites. Only recently have we seen mixed-race individuals becoming presidents in countries like Colombia. Similarly, while intermarriage occurred in the Baedal nation between the bear tribe and others, children born between the heavenly descendants of Baedal and the indigenous bear tribe forces, though still considered heavenly descendants, became second-class citizens. In a class-based society, one had to marry a woman of heavenly descent to maintain first-class status, and succession rights belonged to them. However, Dangun, whose father was of heavenly descent but whose mother was from the bear tribe, was of second-class status. Despite this, he was so intelligent that he ascended to the throne. As the first king who was of mixed heritage with indigenous forces, Dangun can truly be called the ancestor of our people. Dangun changed the name of the nation from “Baedal” to “Joseon,” which is what we call “Gojoseon” (Ancient Joseon). It is called “Gojoseon” to distinguish it from the later Joseon Dynasty, meaning the old Joseon.

Thus, the Han Kingdom of Hwanin, the Baedal Kingdom of Hwanung, and the Joseon Kingdom of Dangun continued in succession. Hwanin, Hwanung, and Dangun are not individual names but titles of rulers. In the Han Kingdom, the ruler was called ‘Hwanin,’ in the Baedal Kingdom ‘Hwanung,’ and in the Joseon Kingdom ‘Dangun.’ The Samguk Yusa records ‘Hwanung, descendant of Hwanin, and Dangun, descendant of Hwanung,’ making it appear as if these were just three individuals who each lived for thousands of years. We honor these three as our ancestral deities – Hwanin the Heavenly God, Hwanung the Heavenly King, and Dangun Wanggeom – collectively known as the Three Divine Ancestors.

Northeast Asian Civilization History: From Buyeo and Goguryeo to Balhae and the Northeast Asian Empires

North Buyeo and Goguryeo inherited these three roots. Buyeo and Goguryeo existed during what is called the ‘Era of Multiple States,’ which should be understood not as single unified nations but as forms where the eldest lineage maintained leadership while multiple nations competed. Under them were various minority ethnic groups including the Khitan and Jurchen peoples. However, the forces that held mainstream royal authority and maintained the state were the Buyeo and Goguryeo peoples. After Goguryeo fell, its descendants established Balhae, greatly expanding the territory. In this process, the Mohe people became the demographic majority, and eventually the Mohe and Khitan peoples became major government officials. Previously, all positions up to middle management were held by Goguryeo people with minority groups in lower positions, but by late Balhae, minority groups occupied major positions except for the king. Thus, these minority groups learned state governance, and after Balhae’s fall, when the Goguryeo people failed to succeed to ruling authority, the Khitan’s Liao Dynasty, the Jurchen’s Jin Dynasty, and the Mongols’ Yuan Dynasty began establishing empires in succession. Eventually, our people, the Goguryeo descendants, lost leadership to our cousins and brothers, and the Yuan Dynasty conquered the Central Plains. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, the Sixteen Kingdoms of the Five Barbarians occupied the Central Plains, and later the Manchus also ruled the Central Plains. From a civilizational perspective, in East Asian history, the periods when Northeast peoples ruled all of East Asia and when the Han Chinese ruled are exactly half and half. This is how we need to view history broadly. Based on our understanding of our people’s origins – Hwanin’s Han Kingdom, Hwanung’s Baedal Kingdom, and Dangun’s Joseon Kingdom – we can see that Buyeo, Goguryeo, and Baekje competed for legitimacy. Understanding that minority groups grew after Balhae’s fall and went on to conquer the Central Plains brings us closer to historical facts. I hope you will understand the ancient history section from this perspective. Tomorrow at the Liaohe Museum, you will be able to see some artifacts that demonstrate this history.”

Sunim then provided concluding remarks about modern history, from the independence movement to the division of Korea.

“Although the anti-Japanese independence movement ultimately did not achieve great results, we fought against Japanese imperialism with all our might. Initially fighting as righteous armies, we later organized independence armies, and after accepting socialist ideology, some joined the Chinese Communist Party to fight. Others joined the Soviet Red Army or conducted independent armed struggles. Despite fighting anti-Japanese struggles on multiple fronts, we lacked the capacity to achieve independence through our own strength alone. In terms of intensity, it was comparable to France’s Resistance movement, but we rarely fought under our own name. Since we often fought under Chinese or Russian names, we were not recognized as a victorious nation in the post-war colonial settlement process. Ultimately, because we were a colony of defeated Japan, we became swept up in the victorious nations’ division of jurisdiction and faced division.”

Division Created by Foreign Powers and Our Lost Independence Movement History

At that time, the victorious nations were the United States and the Soviet Union. When discussing post-war arrangements after Japan’s surrender, the United States was to take charge of mainland Japan while the Soviet Union would oversee Manchuria. Taiwan was to be under U.S. control. Regarding the Korean Peninsula, the Soviet Union and the United States argued over who would take charge, eventually agreeing to divide it at the 38th parallel – halfway between 33 and 43 degrees – with the U.S. taking the south and the Soviet Union the north. There was absolutely no reason for the division between North and South; it was simply decided during the process of organizing post-war territories. If the U.S. and Soviet contributions to the East Asian Pacific War had been similar, Japan probably would have been divided. However, since the U.S. contribution was 80% and the Soviet influence only 20%, all of Japan came under U.S. jurisdiction, and only Korea, Japan’s colony, was divided for administration. At that time, the North had advantages in economic and military conditions and international standing, so they refused to accept the division and attempted unification by force, starting the Korean War. However, the plan failed when U.S. forces intervened. It would have been better if it had stopped there, but the South, thinking they could achieve unification, pushed northward with the goal of ‘anti-communist unification.’ We only think about how the North invaded first and say North Korea invaded, but North Korea and China claim the opposite – that America invaded based on our subsequent push northward. So they view the timing of the invasion differently. When South Korea advanced north, China entered the war and pushed back down, and after the front lines pushed back and forth, they stopped at the current armistice line. The division was not created by our needs but by foreign powers. North and South Korea formed governments under foreign influence to their advantage, and although they established independent governments, they were actually within their spheres of influence. During the war, liberals from the North fled to the South, while those with socialist leanings in the South crossed to the North. They were misunderstood and persecuted because of their different ideologies. Thus, the division of North and South Korea began as a division created by foreign powers, solidified internally through war into an ‘internal division,’ and continues to this day. Now each government claimed to be the legitimate successor of our national history. South Korea’s main justification is that it inherited the March 1st Independence Movement and the Provisional Government in Shanghai, and secondly that it held general elections under UN supervision. North Korea’s identity is that independence movement forces were the main force in establishing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. In the past, North Korea called for building a unified state while South Korea advocated for two separate states and somewhat taboo the idea of unification. Now that the balance of power between North and South has changed, South Korea talks about unification while North Korea advocates for two separate states.

What’s important is not who is right, but first, peace, and second, flexibility. It’s like a couple fighting to gain advantage before marriage. If your partner says, ‘Then I won’t marry you,’ and you truly love that person, you should yield. You’re not becoming subordinate out of servility, but because you love them. If we truly want unification, we need to understand North Korea’s position. If they want to live separately for now, we should accept that. If they want to live together, we should do that. If we say, ‘Yesterday you said something different, why are you like this today?’ that’s essentially saying we don’t want to live together anymore. If you call that servile, you don’t understand what love is. In emphasizing their identities, both South and North Korea have erased uncomfortable histories. South Korea excluded those who participated in independence movements but joined the North Korean government, while North Korea excluded those who contributed to the South Korean government or didn’t help establish the North Korean government. As a result, nationalist independence activists were left out of history, and even the March 1st Movement came to be treated as an insignificant event. By insisting only on their own identities, the independence movement history that both sides acknowledge has become extremely limited. This is why our independence movement history has become so impoverished, and despite this poverty, we’ve come to perceive that liberation was achieved almost entirely through American power. The problem isn’t just that we lost our country, but that we developed a deep inferiority complex from not being able to regain it ourselves. Because our independence movement history hasn’t been properly established, we not only have a victim mentality about Japanese invasion but also severely lack pride in the Republic of Korea. Our entire curriculum is structured as if we barely achieved independence with others’ help.

Today Built on Forgotten Names, the Pride We Should Have

Of course, independence would have been difficult without America’s help. However, we should have pride that we also contributed sufficiently to independence. I’m not saying we should create something that doesn’t exist, but rather restore what already exists. One issue stems from the division between North and South Korea, and another comes from our perfectionism. Even if someone fought for independence in their youth, if they had even a slight pro-Japanese record in their later years, we erase all records of that person. As a result, except for a few who died young, it’s difficult for anyone to survive in history. In the end, those who died shouting for independence or writing poems are remembered as if they were the core figures of the independence movement. While it’s true that they contributed to independence, independence wasn’t achieved through their efforts alone. The sacrifices of countless people created today’s Republic of Korea. We live today not only on the historical facts and famous figures we know, but on the sacrifices of countless unnamed people buried in history whose names we don’t even know. If we understand this, we can have humility, gratitude, and pride.

Historical Consciousness Makes Us More Confident

This is why we endure such hardships on these history tours – to study with this mindset. While it’s unpleasant when Chinese security controls us in various ways, this is something we must endure to learn and confirm our history. Of course, we could get angry and say “I’ll never come back” and not return, but our purpose isn’t tourism, is it? And somewhat paradoxically, this kind of stimulation actually helps you. Rather than going everywhere we want, not being able to go to some places actually helps inspire determination. In Buddhist terms, they are “reverse bodhisattvas.” By doing unpleasant things, they stimulate us and make us work harder. That’s why I think this level of interference is like seasoning. It’s okay if we can’t see all the independence movement sites. Sometimes we need this kind of seasoning more than seeing everything. When they tell us not to go, we don’t just not go – we go, wait, fight, persuade, and sometimes still can’t go. This is also part of the history tour. That’s why I don’t think this history tour has significantly deviated from our original purpose.

I hope that through this history tour, all of you will honor the efforts of our ancestors and develop a sense of historical consciousness. I also hope you will become young people who can confidently contribute to world history in the future. Thank you all for your hard work.”

The lecture concluded with loud applause.

Tonight is the last night of the Northeast Asian History Tour. Participants wrote their reflections and shared them within their groups. By the time all activities were completed, it was past midnight. Since everyone had to wake up at 4:20 AM as usual tomorrow, they hurried to bed.

Tomorrow morning, the group will travel to Shenyang to visit the Liaoning Provincial Museum, which they couldn’t see on the first day. After wrapping up the history tour, they will head to Shenyang Airport to fly back to Korea.